Kobe Bryant, the Black Mamba, has retired after 20 years in the NBA. While the past couple years haven’t been the greatest of the five-time champion’s career, Bryant put on a show for the ages in his final outing in the NBA against Utah. Bryant shot 22 of 50 from the field for 60 points. He made six 3-pointers and 10 free throws.

Bryant scored 23 points in the fourth quarter and flashed signs of his old self throughout the last stretch. He helped the Lakers rally from a 15-point deficit, hitting a late 3-pointer with 59 seconds left to bring the Lakers’ score to 95 and just a point behind the Jazz. On the ensuing Laker possession Bryant nailed a long jumper to put the Lakers ahead by 1. Bryant scored his 59th and 60th points by hitting two free throws on the following possession. On his final play, Bryant threw the ball down the court to a wide open Jordan Clarkson for an easy dunk to ice the game. Watch the full video above.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) signs autographs after leaving the court after the Lakers loss to the Denver Nuggets on March 2, 2016 at Pepsi Center. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

It was early night for Lakers guard Kobe Bryant as his farewell tour reached Denver Wednesday night. His aching shoulder injury got the better of him as he was limited to only 11 minutes of action.

Bryant’s fun didn’t end when he exited the game. He had his own contest with four fans sitting behind the Lakers’ bench, a pair of boys and a pair of young ladies. It ended with the two boys receiving his autographed sneakers once the game ended. It wasn’t just a gift, either.

“No, they earned them,” Bryant said. “They wanted to know what the name of my pet dog was so I gave them a clue. I said ‘it’s in a (Harry) Potter film.’ So every time, they threw out like 15 names. The deal was if they got it, I’d give them my shoes. And they got it.”Read more…

Larry Nance Jr. was drafted by the Lakers with the 27th pick in the first round of Thursday’s NBA draft. (David Becker, Getty Images)

It’s nice to be wanted. It’s even nicer to get paid. Larry Nance Jr. got both.

The former Wyoming star was drafted by both the Harlem Globetrotters and the Los Angeles Lakers this week, giving him the option of joining (not really … they’re celebrity picks) Mo’Ne Davis and Alex Morgan, or Kobe Bryant and D’Angelo Russell — and guaranteeing him solid income no matter what.

The 6-foot-9 power forward surprisingly jumped to No. 27 in Thursday’s NBA draft, selected by the Lakers near the end of the first round. Nance is the first Wyoming player drafted since Theo Ratliff in 1995.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling; almost indescribable,” Nance told Los Angeles media Thursday evening. “The franchise has been incredible: great history. It speaks for itself. The Los Angeles Lakers. It hasn’t set in that I’m a Laker yet.”

Bryant signed an extension in 2013 worth $48.5 million. If he plays through his contract with Los Angeles, he will have spent 20 years with the Lakers.

“All indications are, to me, from him, that this (two-year contract) is going to be it,” Kupchak said. “If somebody’s thinking of buying a ticket three years from now to see Kobe play, I would not do that. Don’t wait. Do it this year.”

The 36-year-old Bryant is averaging 25.2 points for the 5-16 Lakers this season. He is fourth all-time in total points scored with 32,230, just 62 behind former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan.

There’s no real point to NBA media days, aside from ensuring players get their headshots for media guides. But I hope they never go away. Ever. Every year, without fail, they provide some of the most memorable moments off the court, primarily with awkward photo shoots and hours upon hours of cliches.

And this year, of course, was as good as all the others. Here are some the best photos, quotes, tales and more from NBA media days, as well as the start of training camp for five of the teams, this year.

“Certain falls happen and you slip,” Rondo said. “I slipped and tried to catch my hand. It wasn’t like a banana [peel] slip. I actually almost caught myself. I landed on my knuckle in the windowsill of my home. That’s what happened.”

George Karl said he would be like to be considered for any of the league’s coaching vacancies, including the Lakers, Warriors, Knicks and Pistons. (Karl Gehring, The Denver Post)

Former Nuggets coach George Karl wants to “get back in the gym” and expects to receive a call from the Lakers’ brass about their coaching vacancy, according to reports.

Karl, an ESPN analyst who was named the NBA’s 2013 NBA Coach of the Year after leading the Nuggets to a 57-win season, said he has not talked to Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak recently but that “Mitch will probably give me a phone conversation along the way.”

While talking on SiriusXM’s “Off the Dribble,” Karl said that he and Kupchak were roommates at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and have remained friends over the years.

That’s what his agent once told ESPN.com — Shaw has played with Larry Bird and Allen Iverson, he was teammates with Latrell Sprewell when Spree choked their coach, he played in the NBA Finals for Orlando, he won three titles as a player with Shaq and Kobe in LA, he was an assistant under Phil Jackson and, most recently, was on the Pacers bench in the crazy seven-game Eastern Conference finals with the Heat.

“He’s a like a Forrest Gump or Zelig type,” Jerome Stanley, his longtime friend and agent, told ESPN.com. “He has been a part of the biggest chapters in NBA history the past two decades. Somewhere in the background was Brian Shaw.”

If there’s an NBA player who doesn’t want more minutes, then perhaps that player has a problem with being too content. Andre Miller, like many others, indeed would like to play more, and said as much recently.

But his agent explained Friday that Miller is committed to the Nuggets — the team Miller signed with this past summer during free agency — and Nuggets executive Masai Ujiri said, “Andre is not going anywhere. We want to win.”

Miller helps Denver win. He is a key cog off the bench. The point guard spearheads the second unit, he often plays down the stretch and was even called the team’s MVP by coach George Karl (prior to Danilo Gallinari’s recent surge).

Miller did make some comments to Paul Klee about his role, saying, “I definitely would like to contribute more.”

In his third NBA season, Lawson shot 36.5 percent from beyond the arc. And last season, only 22 NBA players shot 40 percent or better, and the only starting point guard was Stephen Curry (45.5 percent, and even he played more of a shooting guard role at times. Meanwhile, a pure starting point guard, the Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving, shot 39.9 percent).

Lawson has showcased the ability to splurge. He made his first 10 3s in a game in April of 2011, the first player in NBA history to do so. And he was 5-for-6 from 3 in Denver’s huge Game 6 home win against the Lakers last spring.

One could argue that the addition of Andre Iguodala, who could potentially play some point forward, could help free up Lawson for 3s. Lawson, as we know, is better at the catch-and-shoot 3 — almost a set shot — as compared to creating his own 3.

Nuggets center JaVale McGee appears to be having as good a time as the team's fans in the Pepsi Center on Thursday night as he enjoys Denver's 13-0 run to start Game 6 of the first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 113-96 on Thursday night in Game 6 of their first-round series in the NBA playoffs, forcing a decisive Game 7 on Saturday night in L.A.

Nuggets guard Andre Miller, right, recorded 24 points and eight assists in Game 5 on Tuesday in L.A.

LOS ANGELES – Andre Miller has been around so long and played for so many teams that it’s easy to forget that he’s from Los Angeles.

It’s part of what made his 24 points and eight assists in a dominating, turn-back-the-clock performance all the more satisfying. It was the 36-year-old Miller’s highest-scoring playoff game since scoring 31 points for Portland in Game 1 of a 2010 first-round series against Phoenix. He had eight assists in that game, too.

“It feels good to be 13 years in and play like this,” said Miller, who starred for Verbum Dei High. “Especially because I’m at home.”

Yep. After two games, the 7-foot Laker Gasol has 13 assists, while Denver’s starting point guard Lawson has nine.

“I’m just trying to find my open teammates, trying to see what’s going on and give easy looks to (low-post partner Andrew) Bynum most of the time,” Gasol said. “And then Kobe (Bryant) is such a good cutter and holds his position so well in the paint, so he’s a definer for me. I’m just trying to make our offense work, get a little movement and get guys easy shots.”

LOS ANGELES — In the course of this series, one would surmise that at least once there will be a close fourth quarter (right?).

If so, the Los Angeles Lakers have Kobe Bryant.

Nuggets coach George Karl, as he does, beautifully put into perspective the importance of fourth-quarter Kobe for the Lakers (Kobe did score 14 fourth-quarter points in Game 1, which ain’t bad, but it wasn’t a must-score situation).

The Nuggets have lost five of their last six, the lone win thanks to a Carmelo Anthony buzzer-beater. At the Nuggets’ team meeting this morning, Melo spoke to his teammates and flashed a refreshing smile:

Carmelo Anthony shouted instructions to the team late in the fourth quarter during an NBA game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 8, 2010, while out with a knee injury. (Karl Gehring, The Denver Post)

“My message to the team today: Just everybody relax. We’re all right! We’re in a good place. We hit a bump in the road, but all teams hit a bump, it just so happens that our is right now. Just relax. We got it. We’re all right. When you lose games, everybody tends to get all tense. We just need to calm down. We’re comfortable.”

Numerous Nuggets said the team’s practice today was upbeat and had a positive vibe. After all, the team is back in the friendly confines of Pepsi Center, where Denver is 30-6 (only the Lakers and Cavaliers have fewer home losses). The Nuggets (48-27) entered today fifth in the conference but a game-and-a-half back from No. 2 Dallas, though the Mavs have the tiebreaker. The Nuggets host Portland (45-29) on Thursday at 8:30 p.m.

There was a strange sense of inevitability to the Nuggets’ loss at the Lakers on Sunday.

They’d won twice already, once in blowout fashion and once with an unstoppable nature, scoring at will late in the game to swarm L.A. under. The Lakers wanted their edge in the series back. They wanted to show they were still Goliath. That game meant something more to them, and they played like it in the second half.

What we learned on Sunday is the Nuggets have obviously closed the gap between the two teams, but there are questions as to whether they are still too unstable to be able to get over that hump. This season’s games show progress, but not conclusive evidence that the Nuggets – though they say they are – are in fact on the Lakers’ level. Being on the level isn’t just a talent thing; it’s a smarts and execution-under-pressure thing. And that’s where the Nuggets need to improve.

Going forward this season, this is what we know now:

SUPPORT WILL BE VITAL

Ron Artest was brought in to L.A. to guard players like Carmelo Anthony in the playoffs, and his effectiveness had to be disturbing to anyone claming to be a Nuggets fan.

Can he shut Anthony down for an entire series? Probably not. But can he reduce Melo’s effectiveness just enough to allow the Lakers to make more mistakes and still win? Yes. And that’s frightening. The Lakers played a horrible first half, got a 3-for-17 performance from Kobe Bryant and still won. Artest getting all in Anthony’s jersey was a big part of why. Eight turnovers and six fouls. Those numbers won’t just lose games, but playoff series.

It means Kenyon Martin, Chauncey Billups, Nene, Arron Afflalo and J.R. Smith are more important than ever. Their success will keep the Nuggets on schedule and give time for Anthony to figure out Artest without pressing to do so. Anthony is too good to be limited in seven games. But his supporting cast has to keep their level of play high to give him a chance to be the star he’ll need to be to win in a potential Lakers-Nuggets playoff series.

BIG MAN NOT NEEDED

George Karl called Cleveland center Zydrunas Ilgauskas in a last-ditch attempt to get him in. Yes: He would be a good addition to the team. No: The Nuggets don’t need him to beat the Lakers. Maybe: He would give the team a better chance. What the Nuggets actually need is seven or eight fewer turnovers to give themselves a chance.

DON’T WAKE THE SLEEPING GIANT

The Nuggets are smack-talkers. The Lakers hate it, but maybe they should get over it. But J.R. Smith calling out Kobe on Twitter has to stop. Never, ever give the game’s best player a reason to stick it to the Nuggets even more. Never, ever talk to smack to a player with four championship rings, an NBA Finals MVP, a NBA league MVP, seven-time first team All-NBA, Olympic gold medalist when you have….nothing. Smith has done nothing in his career. And never, ever say a player doesn’t play well against you when you’re just one of at least four players who guard him in the course of a game. There’s just no talking in that case. Now, the Black Mamba has a reason to put a bulls-eye on the Nuggets. Smith and his team dodged a Kobe explosion on Sunday. They won’t be so lucky in the future. The Nuggets will have to find a way to overcome and be successful anyway.

You can look at the Nuggets through different lenses … but the fact is this: When Denver’s four horsemen are all in the starting lineup (Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Kenyon Martin and Nene), the Nuggets are an astounding 27-6. That’s an .818 winning percentage.

If that was Denver’s overall winning percentage, that would be best in the NBA. Right now, Denver is 37-19 overall with a .661 winning percentage, which is fourth-best in the league, trailing Cleveland (43-14, .754), the Los Angeles Lakers (42-14, .750) and Orlando (38-19, .667).

Yes, injuries are part of the game, and the fact is, the Lakers have won at times without Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant.

Featuring nine members of the gold medalist 2008 U.S. Olympic Team and a total of 11 Olympians who have captured a combined 15 Olympic medals (nine gold medals and six bronze medals), USA Basketball revealed today 27 players who have been named to the 2010-2012 USA Men’s National Team program. The selections were announced by USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo.

“This is another important step in the reassembling of the USA National Team for the next three years of competitions that will include the FIBA World Championship in 2010, and if we qualify, the 2012 Olympics in London. Unlike 2006-08 when we were first starting the program, this time we have the benefit of including players who were members of the last national team, while also incorporating players who were involved in our pipeline the last couple of summers,” said Colangelo, who also served as Managing Director of the 2006-08 USA National Team.

“Special recognition and acknowledgement needs to go to the nine players returning from our 2008 Olympic Team. They have demonstrated that they are the heart and soul of our program and their commitment to continue to represent their country should not be overlooked.

The NBA released its list of the top NBA jerseys sold this season, and the Nuggets’ Carmelo Anthony finished 15th. The list is based on sales at the NBA Store in New York City and NBAStore.com, since the start of the 2008-09 NBA season through April 2009.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is Nate Robinson, one of two guys on the list to never make an all-star team (rookie Derrick Rose is the other). Of course, Krypto-Nate plays in New York and is a fan favorite, thanks to his dunk over “Superman” Dwight Howard during the NBA’s dunk contest in February. Here’s the list:

Denver will be seeded:
• #2 if Nuggets win OR Rockets lose
• #3 if Nuggets lose and Rockets win

Houston will be seeded:
• #2 if Rockets win and Nuggets lose
• #3 if Rockets win and Nuggets win OR if Spurs and Blazers lose.
• #4 if Rockets lose, Spurs win and Blazers lose OR if Rockets lose, Spurs lose and Blazers win.
• #5 if Rockets lose and Spurs and Blazers win.

Portland will be seeded:
• #3 if Blazers win and Rockets and Spurs lose.
• #4 if Blazers win and either Rockets or Spurs win (or both win) OR if Blazers and Spurs both lose.
• #5 if Blazers lose and Spurs win.

San Antonio will be seeded:
• #3 if Spurs win and Rockets lose.
• #4 if Spurs win, Rockets win and Blazers lose.
• #5 if Spurs lose OR if Rockets and Blazers win.

New Orleans will be seeded:
• #6 if Hornets win OR if Mavericks and Jazz lose.
• #7 if Hornets lose and either Mavericks or Jazz win (but not both)
• #8 if Hornets lose and Mavericks and Jazz win.

Dallas will be seeded:
• #6 if Mavericks win and Hornets lose.
• #7 if Mavericks win and Hornets win OR if Mavericks lose and Jazz lose.
• #8 if Mavericks lose and Jazz win.

Utah will be seeded:
• #6 if Jazz win and Hornets and Mavericks lose.
• #7 if Jazz win and either the Hornets or Mavericks win (both not both)
• #8 if Jazz lose OR Hornets and Mavericks win.

Chris Dempsey arrived at The Denver Post in Dec. 2003 after seven years at the Boulder Daily Camera, where he primarily covered the University of Colorado football and men's basketball teams. A University of Colorado-Boulder alumnus, Dempsey covers the Nuggets and also chips in on college sports.